Jerry O'Shaughnessy was a Democratic

Ohio Democratic Party

The Ohio Democratic Party is the Ohio affiliate to the United States Democratic Party. Former Ohio House Minority Leader Chris Redfern is the Ohio Democratic Party chairman. Redfern was elected to office in December 2005...

 politician who formerly served in the Ohio General Assembly

Ohio General Assembly

The Ohio General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Ohio. It consists of the 99-member Ohio House of Representatives and the 33-member Ohio Senate...

. O'Shaugnessy began his political career as a member of the Ohio House of Representatives

Ohio House of Representatives

The Ohio House of Representatives is the lower house of the Ohio General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Ohio; the other house of the bicameral legislature being the Ohio Senate....

 in the 1960s. In 1966, he opted to run for the newly districted 15th District of the Ohio Senate

Ohio Senate

The Ohio State Senate is the upper house of the Ohio General Assembly, the legislative body for the U.S. state of Ohio. There are 33 State Senators. The state legislature meets in the state capital, Columbus. The President of the Senate presides over the body when in session, and is currently Tom...

, but lost by a mere 249 votes to Republican

Republican Party (United States)

The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...

 John W. Bowen

John W. Bowen

John W. Bowen is a Republican politician who formerly served in the Ohio Senate. A veteran of World War II and an attorney, Bowen initially ran for the Ohio Senate in 1966, following the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Opposed by Jerry O'Shaughnessy, Bowen ultimately won the race by only 240 votes...

.

In 1970, O'Shaughnessy again ran for the Senate seat, however, this time he was successful. He defeated Bowen, and took his seat on January 5, 1971. However, less than two years into his term, O'Shaughnessy died of a heart attack. He was sixty six years old. He was succeeded by his brother, Robert O'Shaughnessy

Robert O'Shaughnessy

Robert O'Shaughnessy was a Democratic politician and a member of the Ohio Senate. A member of a political family, O'Shaughnessy was initially appointed to the Senate to succeed his brother, Jerry O'Shaughnessy, who had died. In 1974, O'Shaughnessy overcame a divisive primary and a challenge by...

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